I. Field of the Invention
A method and apparatus for filling flexible pouches with fluids and powders and, more particularly, a method and apparatus having a hood providing a gas curtain for covering a pouch during the filling process.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Flexible pouches formed of plastic or foil are used for packaging fluids. These pouches are being used for a variety of different fluids, including liquids, granular material, powders and the like. The pouches are typically triangular in shape having a flat base and tapering towards a top. The pouches rest on the base and the beverage is dispensed from the top.
Many liquids and dry products, such as powders, must be packaged in the absence of oxygen. All oxygen is removed from the pouch before filling and the pouch is maintained in an oxygen-reduced environment while being filled. The pouches are placed in a closed chamber which is sealed and evacuated to remove oxygen. The chamber is then filled with a gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The pouches are then filled in the gas filled environment of the chamber. However, when there is any problem with the fill process, the production line must be stopped while the chamber is opened and the problem corrected. Then the chamber must be reevacuated and filled with gas before continuing the filling process. This can result in lengthy delays in the packaging process.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for filling flexible pouches which does not require an evacuation chamber. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for filling flexible pouches which minimizes the down time when there is a problem in the filling process.